A little background:

It has been three years since we finished this remodel, and I am just getting around to posting these photos. The people on this forum were invaluable in helping me design and execute this remodel. Many thanks to all of you!

My brother and I tackled everything except the electrical and plumbing moves. We tore out soffits and a short wall, opened up walls for the plumbing/electrical, did the drywall work to patch everything up, installed the cabinets, cut and installed the soapstone countertops, installed the tile backsplash, laid and finished the hardwood floors, installed the appliances and undercabinet lighting, and celebrated a plenty when we were done.

I planned the remodel over about 2.5 years. We executed it in seven weeks from tear out to celebration dinner. I'll admit it took me a few weeks longer to be motivated enough to put the cabinet hardware on (I sort of got attached to the blue tape look), finish up the undercabinet lighting and seal the backsplash.

Layout, layout, layout

I loved the new kitchen. It made me realize how important it is to have a LAYOUT that works for you. Forget the materials for a while - I believe if you don't think about how you move through a kitchen as you are preparing meals and design around that, then you won't be getting the most out of your new kitchen. Our new kitchen was pretty small by today's standards, but it flowed like a dream. It was an immeasurable improvement over the chopped up nightmare of a kitchen we had before. I was hesitant to put so much $$ into moving plumbing & electrical, but ultimately, that is what made the new kitchen work.

We liked it so much, we moved

Two years after we finished the new kitchen, we moved from that 1500sf condo to a house. The addition of kid number two and parents that come for long visits from overseas meant we really needed more room. Somehow, we ended up in a house that needs a kitchen remodel, and so I am planning that one now. We'll tackle it sometime in 2008. Hopefully it won't take me three years to post the photos from this one!

Materials

Floor - Oregon Myrtle, finished with OSMO Hardwax Oil

Cabinets - Kitchen Craft, Salem in natural maple

Countertops - Marianna soapstone

Backsplash - 2" Chiaro tumbled travertine

Refrigerator - GE Profile 30" wide, bottom freezer

Microwave - GE Profile

Range - GE Profile dual fuel convection

Dishwasher - GE Profile

Faucet - Price Pfister Parisa Pullout

Soap dispenser - Price Pfister

Filtered water tap - Waterstone

Undercabinet lights - Sea Gull Xenon

Ceiling lights - Juno 4" over sink, 6" elsewhere, Alzak baffles in Haze

Photos in addition to the link below:

Old kitchen

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/3763480#216603890

Remodel in progress

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/3763517#216608843

Here is a link that might be useful: New Kitchen Photos